Silo.



HERMANN.

SILO.

APPLICATION TILED 11.3.1914.

1,1 18,857. Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

Inventor I Witnesses Attorneys MARTI HERMAN or cALLIcoon, NEW YORK.

. SILO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

Application filed March 3, 1914. Serial No. 822,145.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MARTIN HERMANN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Cal-. licoon, in the county of Sullivan and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Silo, of which the following is a specification.

ThlS invention relates to sllos and more particularly to doors for use in connection therewith.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a silo having means whereby the door is properly centered within the door opening, there being a novel form of combined latch and step carried by the door.

and which coiiperates with the door centering means to form a ladder whereby a person may readily ascend the silo at the door.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention rzsides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, with out departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the pre ferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a silo having the present improvements combined therewith, the latch being shown, by dotted lines, raised out of normal position. Fig. 2 is a section on line A-B. Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line ()-D Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a section on line E-F Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a portion of a silo having stiles 2 at the sides of the door opening 3, these stiles being held apart at intervals by cross bars 4 preferably bowed as shown and whichlap the outer faces of the stiles and have lugs 5 extending into the door opening and engaging the sides of the stiles, thus to constitute abutments whereby movement of the stiles toward each other is prevented. As shown in Fig. 2, these lugs have their exposed inner faces curved, as at 6, thus to constitute deflecting means for the purpose hereinafter set forth. The bar 4 is grooved longitudinally in its outer face, as at 7 so as to receive a silo hoop 8.

The door opening 3 is adapted to be closed by a series of doors arranged one above the other. Each of the doors 9 is slightly wider than the opening, 3 and has the ends of its front face beveled, as indicated at 10, so as to fit snugly against the inner sides of the stiles 2. Each door has parallel cleats 11 upon its front face, the

outer corners of these cleats being rounded or beveled, as at 12 so as to engage the curved faces 6 of the lugs 5, as shown in Fig.2.

Pivotally mounted upon the cleats 11 preferably at the centers thereof, are latch members 13 and 13 respectively the outer end of each of which is adapted to lap and to contact with the. adjacent stile 2, thus to hold the beveled end 10 of the door 9 tightly against the inner face of the stile. The inner end portion of each latch member is offset outwardly, as shown at 14, the inwardly extending portions of the two latch members being adapted to lap, as shown in Figs. 1. and 2. Secured to the free end portion of each of the inwardly extending portions 14: is a U-shaped bracket 15, each of which is adapted to receive and support the inwardly extending portion 14: of the op posed latch member. Thus it will be seen that when the two latch members are moved into horizontal position, their inner end portions will become seated within the respective brackets and the downward movement of said inner end portions will be limited and said portions can consequently be used as a step. When the latch members are thus positioned for use as a step, their outer end portions will lap and engage the stiles 2 and hold the door tightly against the stiles and the cleats 11 pressed tightly against the curved faces 6 of the lugs 5. The latch members 13 are preferably equidistant from the bars 4 and, consequently said latch members and the bars will coiiperate to form a ladder extending throughout the height of the door opening 3.

When it is desired to remove a door section, the inner ends of the latch members thereon are pushed upwardly, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 and until the outer ends of the latch members are moved clear of the stiles 2. The door section can then be pushed inwardly and moved laterally until brought into position where it can be removed through the door opening 3. lVhen placing the door section in position, the foregoing operation is reversed, the door becoming properly centered within the opening by the beveled portions of the cleats 11 coming against the curved faces 6 of the lugs After the section has thus been centered, the latch members are moved down to horizontal position, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1, this bringing the outer ends of the latch members into engagement with the frontfaces of the stiles .4-

Whatis claimed is 1. The combination with a silo door, of separate latch members pivotally mounted between their ends upon the door adjacent the respective sides thereof, the outer ends of the latch members constituting means for engaging the sides of a door opening, the

other ends of the latch members normally lapping, a bracket secured to each latch member and adapted to engage and support one end of the opposed latch member, each bracket being secured to its latch member between the pivot thereof and that end of the latch member engaging the bracket on the opposed member, said brackets cooperating to hold the latch members substantially horizontal, the said latch members being movable upwardly out of lapping relation and out of contact with each other.

2. The combination with a silo door having side cleats, of a latch member pivotally mounted upon each eleat, the outer ends of the members constituting means for engaging the sides of a door opening, the inner ends of the members normally lapping, a bracket secured to the lowerportion of each of the latch members at a point between the pivot of said member and that end thereof engaging the bracket on the opposed member, said brackets cooperating to limit downward movement of the latch members rela tive to each other, said latch members being movable upwardly out of lapped relation and apart.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signa- 'ture in the presence of two witnesses.

MARTIN HERMANN.

Vitnesses CHAs. F. STARCK, MATHEW Woon.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents.

Washington, I0. (3. 

